Electric-line support.



T. VARNEY.

ELECTRlG LINE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2. 1909.

1,138,702. Patented May11,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

ATTORNEY T. VARNEY.

ELECTRIC LINE SUPPORT.

APPucMmN mm on. 2, 1909,

1,138,702. Puiented May 11, 1915.

INVENTOR Qfil wzw/ AT TORNEY rmrrinn erases reruns? curios.

THEODORE VARIETY, OF PITTSEU'RGH, PEHNSYLYAHLQ, ASSKGNOR TO X'E'ETINGQGUSE ELECTBI'C AND HiNUFACTUEIN-(i CQMPAHY, A CGRPQRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HELECTRZ$LINE SUPYOBI'.

Application filed Zlecemher 2, 11369.

of Pittsburgn, the county of Allegheny and State of Pezmsylvanis, have hire-uteri new and useful Im rovement in Electric- Line Supports, of w ich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supportin strugtures for electric line couductors,nnd par ticularly to insulating supports for highvoltage electric railway trolley line conductors.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and durable structure of the class above indicated, in which a. novel end par ticularly advantageous form of insulator miiy be employed.

n the catenary form of line structure which is usually employed for high-voltage railway service, 9. pin is edjustably mounted on a horizontal arm or braeket'and 9. highvoltage insulator is mounted on the pin to serve as a direct support for a messenger wire or cable. In order to obtain the necessary strcn h, a metal pin is usually employed an consequently, a maximum electrical strain is imposed upon the .mlation between the top of the pin and the wire, which is likely to cause a breakdown at that point.

According to my resent invention, I provide an insulator 0 the skirt type-having a downwardly projecting corrugated end which is secured to a. metal block or base. The metal base may be secured, in any suit able way, to a bracket arm or other sup ort ing structure but, in order that the insulator, which is ordinarily composed of porcelain, may be subjected to compression strains only, I provide an interposed bracket which is substantially semicircular in form and upon which the insulator is adjustably sup ported in such a manner that its axis may always beradial thereto. The bracket is adjustably mounted on a bracket arm or other suitable supporting structure.

When my supporting structure is emplayed on a straight stretch of electric line, the axis of the insulator is substantially vertical, but; when it is used on curves, the insulator is adjusted upon the curvedbracketuntil its axis is oblique in order to best opthe pull exerted by the wire at such point.

fipeeificstlsu of Letters Letent ndjustebly supported en'- the argn l.

Patented M 11, 1915-.

Sari-9.12%. 531,957.

I n I is illustrated in the uceom i which is pscale,

l 4 s. 3 and. 4, are respectively,

sectional views on the lines III--Hl and IV--1V of Fig. Fig, 5 is view cor responding to Fig. 2, but disclosing a modi- 65 lied. insulator that may be found preferable for some classes Of SQIVl-CG. Fig. Sis a. detail view of an insulator which may be substituted for that shown in Fig.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, "the structure here shown cornprises horizontal arm 1 which is secured to a ole or other upright s pport, an iiisu star and a curred bracket 4 which is The bracket 4. is substantially semicircular-in form and edjustably supported on the arm 1. by means of ii-bolts 5 which coo mate with hook projections 6, as shown in ig. 3

of the drewin s, to grip the arm 1 which is so preferably of l or I-shapel in cross section. The insulator-3 has the generalfo'rm of e skirt type line insulator, but, instead of be: ing hollow, itis solid and is provided with a corrugated cylindrical end 6 which pro-. jccts axially downward and is connected in a recess '1', with which a metal block or base 8 is provided. The member Bis provided with s projection 9 of hook shape and is adjustably supported upon the bracket 4 by means of a J-bolt 10 which cooperates with the projection to grip the bracket 4, as shown in Fig. sl of the drawin the bracket being preferably of T or I-shape in crosssection. By loosening the nut 11, which clamps the insulator base 8 to the bracket 4, the insulator may be adjusted along the inner cylindrical surface of the bracket, the

arrangement of parts beingsuch that the axis of the insulator is always radial with reference to the bracket. Et is evident that the bracket may be adjusted along the arm 1 and secured to it at any suitable point. The i;

the insulator is not recessed to receive the supporting pin, it is unusually strong, and, therefore it is not likely to be seriously injured." This is particularly true since the operating .mechanical'strains to which it is subjected are applied in compression, as hereinbefoi'e pointed out. A

When electric trolley .Wires are suspended over tracks on which both steam and electric vehicles operate, insulators of the form shown in Fig. 2 tend to become coated with soot or other foreign particles, Wl1lCl'l detract from their insulating properties, and, therefore, in such case, it is desirable to em ploy insulators of simple outline,'like or similar to that shown in Figs.- 5 and 6, to which reference may now "be had. As here shown, the insulator is in the form of a sleeve or tube and is secured at the base 8 by a bolt 12 which extends laterally through its end and is set in cement. The upper end of the insulating tube is provided with a cap '13 having projections 14. for gripping the messenger wire or cable. The outer surface of the tube may be either smooth, as

indicated in Fig. 5, or corrugated, as shown in Fig. 6, provided its outline is such that .soot and dirt will be washed oil by the rain.

While the structures illustrated are considered particularly desirable,.they may obviously be considerably modified Without depa rtin g from the spirit of my invention and I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in, the appended claims. 1

I claim as my invention:

l. A supporting means for an electric conductor comprising a bracket having a curved supporting portion, a metal base block having an open-top'recess, means for clamping said block adjustably to the curved portion. of said bracket, and an upwardly projecting insulator having its lower end cemented into the recess in said .block and provided with means for attaching a wire or cable to" its upper end. I

' 2. A supporting'means for an electric, line conductor comprising a bracket having a curved supporting portion, a. metal base block having an open-top recess and a bottom clamping bolt to engage t tion-of said bracket, and an upwardly projecting insulator having its lower end cehe curved por merited intothe recess in the block and provided withmeans for attaching a wire or cable to its upper end.

3. An insulating support for an electric line conductor comprising a bracket having a curved supporting portion, a metal base block rigidly clamped upon said curved supporting portion but adjustable along the same when the clamping means is loosened, and an insulator secured to the base block and having its axis radial to the bracket.

4. An insulating support for an electric line conductor comprising a bracket having bracket, and an insulator secured to the'base block and projecting radially inward toward the axis of curvature of the bracket.

6. A supporting structure for an electric line conductor comprising a substantially horizontal arm, a bracket ad] ustably secured thereto and having a curved supporting portion, and: an insulator comprising a metal base block adjustably mounted upon the inner surface of the curved portion of the bracket and a porcelain block having a groove at its outer end to receive the line conductor and a corrugated cylindrical portion projecting radially inward, said metal base block being recessed to receive'the corrugated portion "70f the porcelain block, whereby the insulator may be so adjusted that the strains due to the tension in the com ductor may be exerted upon the insulator in an axial direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of Nov.,

THEODORE VARNEY., Witnesses:

WILLIAM SCHAAKE, B. B. HINES. 

